Tracking the Red Sox’ 2012 offseason moves

The Red Sox were a major disappointment for the second straight season in 2012, but the team has pledged to rebuild itself into a contender. General manager Ben Cherington started the process by firing manager Bobby Valentine and replacing him with John Farrell. A review of the moves the Red Sox have made in the offseason follows.
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Jan. 17: Napoli agrees to one-year deal: Catcher/first baseman Mike Napoli originally agreed to a three-year deal worth $39 million in early December, but the contract was delayed after a problem was discovered with Napoli’s hip after a physical. After renegotiating, the sides agreed on a one-year deal.

The Red Sox want Napoli to be their first baseman and a part-time catcher. “The plan, according to a major league source, would be for Napoli to catch a lot in spring training, and then depending what happens with other Sox catchers via trade, have him catch some so he keep that aspect of his game intact,” Globe baseball reporter Nick Cafardo wrote.

Napoli, a free agent who spent the last two seasons with the Texas Rangers, is a career .259 hitter with 146 home runs and 380 RBIs.
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Hanrahan was immediately installed as the closer by manager John Farrell, a move that resulted in Andrew Bailey becoming a set-up man.

Hanrahan visited Fenway Park on Jan. 8.

“I feel like I’ve been in some big games. I feel like I’ve been in some tough spots. I’m not going to go out there and strike out the side every time. That’s not the kind of pitcher that I am. I’m going to come after guys,” he said.
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AP

Dec. 17: Stephen Drew agrees to one-year deal: Shortstop Stephen Drew, the brother of former Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew, agreed to a one-year deal worth $9.5 million, a move that signaled perhaps the Red Sox are not ready for prospect Jose Iglesias to be the full-time shortstop.

Wrote Nick Cafardo on the signing: “Drew was once a very productive offensive player but a broken ankle and the recovery from that slowed him last season when the long-time Diamondback was traded to the Oakland A’s. The A’s did try to retain him, but not at that price.”

After the Sox officially announced the signing, Drew said he should not be compared to his brother.

“I don’t really throw my helmet off [or] throw my bat. You don’t see that,” Drew said. “There’s times you get frustrated. But at the end of the day me and J.D. are a little different. I think I share my emotion. I’ve always been geared to play the game. I love to play the game. I respect J.D. I think I look up to him a lot and learned things from him that have always been with me. But at the same time, we’re totally different players.”
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AP

<b>Dec. 13: Sox and Dempster agree to 2-year deal:</b> After turning down one Red Sox offer, veteran pitcher Ryan Dempster agreed to a two-year, $25 million deal with Boston. The Red Sox needed a pitcher who could be relied on for 180 to 200 innings, even though there is some uncertainty as to how effective Dempster will be in the American league.
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The Boston Globe

<b>Dec. 12: Victorino is introduced:</b> Shane Victorino signed a three-year, $39 million deal with the Sox. He has primarily played center field in his big league career (762 games), but he is slated to start in right field as Jacoby Ellsbury mans center field for the Red Sox. Victorino won three consecutive gold gloves for the Phillies from 2008 to 2010. The 32-year-old Victorino set a career-high with 39 stolen bases in 154 games for the Phillies and Dodgers last season. He ranks second among major league players with 46 triples since 2009.
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AP

<b>Nov. 21: Gomes joins Sox outfield:</b> Former rival Jonny Gomes, known to Sox fans for his June 2008 on-field brawl with Coco Crisp, signed a two-year, $10 million deal with Boston. While some fans were unsure why the Red Sox would give the platoon left fielder such a raise—he made $1 million in Oakland last season—others pointed to his good numbers against lefties and his positive clubhouse presence.
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AP

<b>Nov. 10: Sox sign David Ross:</b> The Red Sox made a surprising move when they agreed to terms with free agent catcher David Ross on a two-year contract worth $6.2 million. Ross, who turns 36 in March and played the last four years for the Braves, is one of the best backups in baseball, respected for his ability to manage the game and work with pitchers. His presence opens the door for Boston to trade one of its other two catchers, Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Ryan Lavarnway .
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The Boston Globe

<b>Nov. 8: Tuck returns to be part of Farrell’s coaching staff: </b>Gary Tuck will return for his seventh season as the Red Sox bullpen coach and catching instructor. No terms were disclosed, but the team worked out a new contract with Tuck, 58, before his option came due. Tuck was bullpen coach under John Farrell from 2007-10. Sox GM Ben Cherington said he and Farrell both thought it was important to have at least one coach return from last season’s staff.
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The Boston Globe

<b>Nov. 8: Red Sox restructure medical staff: </b>After going a season without a medical director, the Red Sox named Dr. Larry Ronan (right) to that post. Ronan was the team’s head internist last season. The Sox also named physical therapist Dan Dyrek as coordinator of sports medicine service. He had been a consultant. Red Sox GM Ben Cherington said the promotions were part of a restructuring that began a year ago. “For all intents and purposes, the structure is in place,” Cherington said.
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<b>Nov. 7: Hired Juan Nieves as pitching coach: </b> The White Sox’ bench coach the past five years, Nieves, 47, was a pitching coach in the White Sox’ farm system and was also a coach in the Yankees’ farm system. Nieves was pitcher for the Brewers for parts of three seasons. He wetn 32-25 with a 4.71 ERA, and tossed a no-hitter vs. the Orioles in 1987.
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Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe

<b>Nov. 2: Re-signed David Ortiz: </b> Hours before free agents like Ortiz were to hit the open market, the Red Sox and Ortiz agreed to a two-year contract worth $26 million to keep the designated hitter in Boston. Big Papi, who will be 37 when the 2013 season starts, played only 90 games in 2012 because he was sidelined by a heel injury, but hit .318 with 23 home runs and 60 RBIs.
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<b>Oct. 30: Hired Brian Butterfield as third base coach: </b> Butterfield, who is from Bangor, Maine, was the Blue Jays' third base coach for the last three seasons and became the second coach to follow John Farrell from Toronto to Boston. Butterfield, 54, has spent 34 years in professional baseball as a player, coach, and manager. He was Gulf Coast League manager of the year in 1988 with the Yankees' rookie-level team in Sarasota, Fla.
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The Boston Globe

<b>Oct. 26: Hired Torey Lovullo as bench coach: </b> Like manager John Farrell, left the Toronto dugout for the one at Fenway Park. Lovullo and Farrell have been teammates, colleagues, and friends for nearly 20 years. Lovullo was the manager of Boston’s Triple A team in Pawtucket in 2010 before becoming Farrell's first base coach in Toronto in 2011.
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AP

<b>Oct. 20: Introduced John Farrell as manager: </b> Farrell, who was the Red Sox' pitching coach before becoming manager of the Blue Jays in 2010, was the man the Red Sox wanted from the time Terry Francona departed after the 2011 season. A deal was worked out to trade shortstop Mike Aviles to the Blue Jays in exchange for Farrell and pitcher Dan Carpenter. Farrell was introduced as the 46th Red Sox manager Oct. 20. "There's some realization on my part that there's work to be done here. There's a lot of quality players that are currently here and yet the results, the win-loss record, doesn't reflect that. It's my job and my intent to find out what took place and how to we best address it and correct it," he said.
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AP

<b>Oct. 4: Fired Bobby Valentine as manager: </b> The day after the season ended, manager Bobby Valentine was fired after one season as skipper. The news was hardly a shock, as Valentine presided over the worst Red Sox team since 1965. Valentine's tenure was marked by one dramatic episode after another, from squabbles with players to peculiar comments, and questionable strategic decisions.
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